APC: The Game of Power

The All Progressives Congress, (APC) National Working Committee, (NWC) led by former Edo State governor,  Chief  John Odigie-Oyegun, its Governors’ Forum, under the leadership of Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha and certain concerned leaders of the ruling party have been engaged in battle of wits for  the control of its national secretariat. Senior Deputy Editor, TAIWO AMODU, examines the implication of the war of attrition on the party’s fortunes ahead of 2019 general election.

ANXIOUS faithful of the ruling All Progressives Congress, (APC) looking forward to a meeting of the National Executive Committee, (NEC) had their hopes dashed again as the NEC, on Thursday, announced postponement of the meetings of the national caucus and the NEC of the party.

A terse statement signed by the ruling party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi and made available to newsmen, said the postponement “is due to unexpected developments.”

The statement read in part: “The National Caucus and National Executive Committee  meetings of the All Progressives Congress scheduled for April 24 and 25, 2017 respectively have been postponed.

“The postponement is due to unexpected developments.  New dates for the meetings will be communicated in due course.’’

Discerning party members not in the dark about the cold war between the Chief Odigie-Oyegun-led National Working Committee and  other power brokers within the party were, however, not bemused over his latest action.

A mid-term national convention earlier fixed for this month was hurriedly aborted by the former Edo State governor who cited lack of funds as reason for the indefinite postponement.

In a statement issued in January, announcing its plan to conduct a midterm convention, the APC NWC said it became necessary to fill existing vacancies occasioned by exit of members who had since picked ministerial positions among others.

The statement further said the processes leading to the national convention would commence with the congress to fill vacancies in the state party structures across the country.

“The vacancies to be filled occurred principally from political appointments, deaths and resignations. The congress to fill the vacancies would be followed closely by another congress to nominate delegates into the mid-term non-elective convention of the party.

“The congresses will be followed by the National Caucus meeting, and finalised with the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the party, which will consider and set the dates for the national convention, which is expected to hold not later than April of 2017,” the statement said.

The scheduled convention was also to also avail the party the opportunity to amend its constitution and simultaneously ratify the amended sections.

Sunday Tribune, however, gathered  that  Chief Odigie-Oyegun and his team shelved meetings of the national caucus and the NEC having got wind of orchestrated plot to  unseat them at a meeting of the NEC, where  date for the convention was expected to be formally unveiled.

The hawks within

In the vanguard of the orchestrated plot to remove Chief Odigie-Oyegun as APC national chairman is the forum of party’s governors under the aegis of APC Governors’ Forum led by Governor Okorocha.

Sunday Tribune findings revealed that some of the governors have expressed reservations over what they perceived to be shoddy handling of sensitive party matters by the Odigie-Oyegun leadership.

At a meeting between  the APC Governors’  Forum and the National Working Committee called at the instance of the latter, the governors led by their chairman, Okorocha had squealed against  the unilateral decision by Oyegun team to fix a date for the national convention without a recourse to the NEC, a statutory  organ of the party saddled with the responsibility.  They equally accused him of undermining the party constitution which mandates him to convene a national convention, once in two years.

Article 25 (A)(i) of the APC constitution states that ‘’the National Convention of the party shall be held once in two (2) years at a date, venue and time to be recommended by the National Working Committee and approved by the National Executive Committee subject to the giving of the statutory notices to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and at least fourteen (14) days notice given to members eligible to attend.’’

Article 25(ii)  also reads:’’ Without prejudice to Article 25(i) of this Constitution, the National Executive Committee may summon an emergency national convention at any time provided at least seven days notice of the meeting shall be given to all members eligible to attend.’’

A party source disclosed to Sunday Tribune that certain governors were also smarting to use the window provided by the aborted convention to remove from the party national secretariat, those they perceived as “unfriendly representatives’’ from their zones.

According to the source, the Kano State governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has been under pressure from his loyalists at home to relieve the national treasurer, Baba Mohammed Gwagwarma, of his position. The latter is believed to be an ally of the immediate past governor, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso.

There is also the sustained agitation by the Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai for the removal of the deputy national chairman, North-west, Alhaji Aminu Abdulkadir. From the South-East, Imo State governor and chairman of the APC Governors’ Forum, Rochas Okorocha is pushing for the removal of Senator Osita Izunaso, from his exalted seat as national organising secretary.

In league with the governors in the orchestrated plot are certain aggrieved members of the party, who are members of another statutory organ of the party, the national caucus. By virtue of Article 12.5 of the APC Constitution, sitting and former governors,  past presidents and Vice-presidents of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, who are members of the party belong to national caucus.  The list also include current presidential and Vice-presidential candidates of the party, present and past Speakers of the House of Representatives and Deputy Speakers who are members of the party.

Sunday Tribune further gathered that the caucus meeting sets agenda for NEC since the gathering of its members always precede  the larger NEC session.

A party source revealed that majority of its members are aggrieved with Odigie-Oyegun leadership style and want him out.

“Don’t forget that by its composition, former Lagos State governor, Senator Bola Tinubu and former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar are members of  caucus. The Speaker of House of Representatives,  Yakubu Dogara is equally a member.  All these influential party members have scores to settle with Odigie-Oyegun and they are going to sit down with the governors at their caucus meeting to decide Oyegun’s fate,” the party source argued.

Sunday Tribune checks revealed that the embattled national chairman of

the party and a national leader of the party, Tinubu were engaged in a faceoff last year over the controversial primary of the party won by the anointed candidate of the Presidency and governor-elect, Rotimi Akeredolu.

Tinubu, in a scathing statement entitled, “Oyegun’s  Ondo fraud: The Violation of Democracy in the APC,” demanded Oyegun’s resignation.

The former Lagos State governor said the APC’s democratic credentials had been dealt a big blow by Odigie-Oyegun’s conduct, especially with his handling of the outcome of the Ondo State governorship primary.

He said the APC was a party borne out of the quest for democratic good governance, arguing that the ideology was currently under a critical threat “by those who managed to be in the party but were never part of it.

“If the party cannot justly govern itself, it will find it difficult to establish and maintain just government throughout the nation,” he said.

Former vice-president and chieftain of APC, Atiku Abubakar, has also been dealt a fatal blow, as his loyalist in the APC NWC, Timi Frank, had since been suspended  as deputy national publicity secretary by Chief Oyegun.

The Speaker, Dogara, who is involved in supremacy battle for the control of  his home state chapter of the party with the state governor, Mohammed Abdulahi Abubakar,  has accused the Oyegun leadership of pitching its tent with the governor.

In an apparent move to placate Dogara, Oyegun penultimate  week hurriedly inaugurated what he called a fact-finding committee to unravel the crisis in Bauchi State chapter of the party with Minister of Labour and Productivity,  Senator Chris Ngige as chairman.

Oyegun:  APC  in quandary?

With Chief Oyegun’s latest move,  the camps of the governors and members of the national caucus are in a quandary, as his deft move postponing meetings of national caucus and NEC appears to be a political master stroke.

Sunday Tribune findings revealed that only the embattled Oyegun is mandated by the party constitution to convene meeting of NEC and he is determined to use the available time to recover lost grounds and possibly placate aggrieved groups.

Article 25 (B)( i, ii) of the party constitution reads:’’ The National Executive Committee shall meet every quarter and or at any time decided by the national chairman or at the request made in writing by at least two-third of the members of the National Executive Committee provided that not less than fourteen (14) days notice is given for the meeting to be summoned.

“Without prejudice to Article 25(B(i) of this Constitution, the National Working Committee may summon an emergency National Executive Committee meeting at any time, provided that at least seven (7) days notice of the meeting shall be given to all those entitled to attend.’’

Is Oyegun the APC cat with nine lives? Is he merely bidding for time?

Will the aggrieved camps have the last laugh? The ordinary party faithful watch with bated breath as the APC drama continues.